The long term objective of this proposal is to understand how environmental temperature fluctuationssynchronize the Drosophila circadian clock. While many of the components of invertebrate and mammalianmolecular circadian clocks have been identified, considerably less is known about how information from theenvironment synchronizes the internal molecular pacemaker. In this project, the effect of temperaturefluctuations on Drosophila circadian behavior will be characterized. The power of Drosophila genetics will beused to identify neuronal structures and circadian clock genes required for circadian rhythm synchronizationby temperature cycles. Finally, biochemical techniques will be used to elucidate the molecular mechanismsby which the pacemaker responds to temperature inputs. Determining how temperature and otherenvironmental inputs are integrated in a simple model system will provide information on how external inputscan act independently and synergistically to affect the timing of complex behaviors such as sleep. Thisshould ultimately lead to a better understanding and treatment of illnesses linked to circadian rhythms, suchas sleep disorders, shift-work associated complications, seasonal affective and bipolar disorder.
| Busza, Ania; Murad, Alejandro; Emery, Patrick (2007) Interactions between circadian neurons control temperature synchronization of Drosophila behavior. J Neurosci 27:10722-33 |
